The present disclosure relates in general to a separator and in particular to a separator for separating substances having relatively high densities, such as solids, liquids and/or gases having relatively high densities, from solids, liquids and/or gases having relatively low densities in a pressurized flow stream such as, for example, a natural gas flow stream.
During the operation of a typical rotary separator, a vortical flow is developed in the process stream as it flows through a rotating drum. The fluid is subjected to an inertial acceleration field, resulting in centrifugal forces directed radially outward towards the inner surface of the drum. The substances having relatively high densities in the vortical flow stream, such as liquids, are subject to the highest centrifugal forces. Thus, liquids present in the flow stream are centrifuged and captured against the inner surface of the drum, thereby radially separating the liquids (high-density substances) from the gas (low-density substances). As a result, a “clean” or substantially non-liquid-transporting gas flow stream exits axially from the drum and flows downstream of the rotary separator.
However, several problems may arise during the operation of a typical rotary separator. For example, a rotary separator may require one or more bearing assemblies to support one or more components such as, for example, a rotating shaft, and these bearing assemblies may in turn require costly case separations and seal systems to ensure proper bearing and/or separator functions.
Also, a secondary flow stream may be driven around the outside of the drum in response to one or more factors such as, for example, flow resistances associated with the rotating drum. Since the secondary flow stream has not undergone rotary separation in the drum, it may transport liquid and/or other contaminants which then may be reintroduced into the flow stream downstream of the drum. Thus, re-contaminated gas (or liquid-carrying gas) may be transported downstream of the separator, frustrating the purpose of the separator.
Therefore, what is needed is a separator and/or method that overcomes one or more of the above-described problems, among others.